Court Vacancies Prove Orrin Hatch Is Full of Shit

MSNBC notes that President Barack Obama has had more judicial nominees blocked than President Bill Clinton or President George W. Bush. Adam Serwer correctly points out Republicans are intentionally not filling the US Court of Appeals for the DC Circuit.

That’s because Republicans have decided that no more Obama administration nominees should be placed on the DC Circuit. Three of the eleven seats on the court are vacant, and placing Democratic nominees on the bench would end conservative dominance of the DC Circuit which handles key regulatory and national security cases. Republicans’ specific ideological objections to the nominees don’t matter as much as their conviction that any Democratic appointees would skew the court to the left, which they want to prevent. Obama has had fewer federal judges confirmed than either of his predecessors. Iowa Republican Senator Chuck Grassley wants to eliminate three seats on the court so as to keep Obama from appointing judges to fill them.

Republican during the Bush years, senators like Orrin Hatch cried for an "up and down vote"?

"...I think we should bind both Democrats and Republicans that presidential nominees for the judiciary deserve an up-and-down vote once they reach the floor..." (Orrin Hatch discusses debate in Senate..., NPR, 5/19/05)

Hatch sang a different tune in the op-ed pages of USA Today. Hatch wrote that the US Court of Appeals for the DC Circuit didn't have much of a case load. Hatch falsely claimed that Democrats were making a scandal out of nothing. What Hatch fails to mention is that there are 3 seats that need to be filled.

Democrats also want to use a manufactured confirmation confrontation as an excuse to eliminate judicial filibusters. Never mind that Democrats blocked four times as many confirmation votes by filibusters under President Bush than have occurred under President Obama. Never mind that Senate Democratic leaders voted more than two dozen times for judicial filibusters, including against a D.C. Circuit nominee. Even then-Sen. Obama voted for several judicial filibusters, including a Supreme Court nominee.

So much for Sen. Orrin Hatch being for an up and down vote.

Compassionate Conservatism: Orrin Hatch Edition

Orrin Hatch said the poor need to do more to help pay off the deficit.

"I hear how they're so caring for the poor and so forth," Hatch said in remarks on the Senate floor Wednesday, in reference to Democrats. "The poor need jobs! And they also need to share some of the responsibility."

Hatch doesn't feel that "responsibility" should be shared by millionaires and billionaires. Hatch voted against a non-binding resolution that said the rich should do reduce the federal debt. The only Democrat to vote against the resolution was Ben Nelson. Hatch and Nelson are so owned by the rich that they will vote to filibuster a non-binding resolution. The resolution passed 74 to 22. The Senate will waste time debating a toothless resolution.

Rubio & Hatch Anti-Abortion Bill Would Jail Doctors

Marco Rubio and Orrin Hatch are the co-sponsors of Child Interstate Abortion Notification Act. Florida Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen attemted to pass this bill in 2005. Several other versions of the bill was attempted during the Bush years and went nowhere. Rubio and Hatch know that they have zero chance of getting a vote on this bill in the Senate. Rubio and Hatch may be sincere in their anti-abortion beliefs. They are also pols and know this bill will help them with social conservatives.

The bill has yet to be published on the internet. Rubio and Hatch issued a joint press release. Their bill would allow for the criminal prosecution of abortion providers.

CIANA allows for punishment, in the form of fines or imprisonment, of physicians who knowingly perform an abortion on a minor who has traveled across state lines and any individual who transported the minor across state lines. The legislation does not apply in cases of a medical emergency, abuse or neglect

Notice Rubio and Hatch do not have the balls to criminally prosecute a woman who terminates her unborn fetus. Republicans can kiss women voters goodbye if they do that.

What is interesting is that Republicans were complaining that Obama's (very bad) health care reform was big government interfering with state health care. Rubio and Hatch interfere with state health care and interstate commerce without flinching. Jen Phillips of Mother Jones points out that states have constantly changing abortion consent laws for minors. States would have to legal adhere to their own and other states abortion consent and noification laws. The end result would likely be abortion providers less likely to perform abortions on minors. Republicans continue to search for ways to make a legal medical procedure illegal.

Republicans Heart Bill Clinton. Really?!?

The New York Times has a story of Republicans remembering how swell of a guy Bill Clinton was. Orrin Hatch told The Times Clinton will go down in history as a better president than Barack Obama. Paul Ryan had this staggering statement.

“The first two years of his term were one thing, but the rest of his presidency was tempered with moderation, and the nation benefited.”

A Wall Street Journal/NBC poll found that Bill Clinton is America's most popular politician. If Republicans diss Clinton, the former president can point out how much better America was when he was in charge.

MSNBC's Cenk Uygur showed video of Clinton stumping for Democrats and it doesn't sound like he likes Republicans all that much. That whole impeachment thing might have something to do with it.

Quote of the Day

"It was standard practice not to pay for things. We were concerned about it, because it certainly added to the deficit, no question."

Orrin Hatch, on the Bush-backed Medicare bill that the Republican controlled Congress passed

Fiscal conservatism is a myth. The Bush years proved as much.

Orrin Hatch Doesn't Like Reading

Orrin Hatch doesn't like the Senate health care bill because it is too long. Would Hatch be happier if CliffsNotes came out with their edition of the health care bill.

HATCH: It's 2074 pages long! It's enough to make you barf!

I feel the same way about Hatch's extremely whiny ass voice.

Remembering Ted Kennedy

Legendary Senator Ted Kennedy finally succumbed in his battle against a brain tumor. His death was announced this morning. Republicans and DEmocrats are mourning the loss of the political giant.

President Barack Obama

"His ideas and ideals are stamped on scores of laws and reflected on millions of lives ... in all who can pursue their dreams in an America that is more equal and more just, including myself," Obama said of the senator, who was a crucial supporter of his presidential campaign.

Vice-President Joe Biden

And, you know, he was never defeatist. He never was petty. Never was petty. He was never small. And in the process of his doing, he made everybody he worked with bigger; both his adversaries as well as his allies. Don't you find it remarkable that one of the most partisan, liberal men in the last century serving in the Senate had so many of his -- so many of his foes embrace him because they know he made them bigger? He made them more graceful by the way in which he conducted himself.

John McCain

"Ted Kennedy had this unique way of doing hand-to-hand combat on the floor of the Senate," McCain said on CNN. "And as soon as we stopped our speechmaking, he'd come over and put his arm around you and make everybody appreciate that we had our differences, politically, but personally we could be friends and work together as colleagues and friends for the good of the country."

"Probably the most overrated aspect of the United States Senate is that people keep their word," added McCain, who worked with Kennedy on immigration overhaul, education, and other issues. "Ted Kennedy always kept his word. He would keep his word to the point where he would vote against his positions in order to preserve a carefully crafted compromise."

Robert Byrd

In his honor and as a tribute to his commitment to his ideals, let us stop the shouting and name calling and have a civilized debate on health care reform which I hope, when legislation has been signed into law, will bear his name for his commitment to insuring the health of every American.

Orrin Hatch

"Today America lost a great elder statesman, a committed public servant, and leader of the Senate. And today I lost a treasured friend."

A humorous Joe Klein story involving Hunter Thompson.

A few months later, I was back at Ethel Kennedy's house — living there as the deputy to Richard Goodwin, the J.F.K. speechwriter who had been tapped as the Rolling Stone Washington bureau chief. On July 4 weekend, Hunter Thompson showed up, and I don't remember much else after that, except that a fair number of Ethel's children were involved. Word spread quickly, as word will do in Washington. That Monday, by coincidence, I had an appointment with Kennedy to talk about a story I was working on, and he said, "Joe, before we get started, can I ask you something off the record?" I said sure, and he continued. "What on earth is happening at that house?"

"Why nothing, Senator," I said, summoning all the false gravity in my tiny arsenal. He smiled, raised an eyebrow. "O.K., O.K.," he said. "I asked."

Orrin Hatch Walks Out of Health Care Talks

TPMDC reports Orrin Hatch walked out of bipartisan health care talks.

"Some of the things they're talking about, I just cannot support. So I don't want to mislead anybody," Hatch said.

Remember this next time Republicans cry about the lack of bipartisanship.

Swiftboating Sotomayor

The Committee for Justice released an ad outrageously claiming Sonia Sotomayor aids terrorists. The ad was created by Chris LaCivita, one of the people involved in the Swift Boat Vets for Truth ad campaign against John Kerry.

A female narrator ominously recites bogus claims in the ad.

Remember Barack Obama’s buddy Bill Ayers, the unrepentant terrorist who bombed American buildings in the 70’s? Turns out President Obama’s done it again – picked someone for the Supreme Court – Judge Sonia Sotomayor – who led a group supporting violent Puerto Rican terrorists. Is this radical judge the type of person America needs sitting on our highest court? What was he thinking? What was she thinking? Call your senators. Tell them to stop Sonia Sotomayor. Paid for by the Committee for Justice.

Senator Orrin Hatch has raised $50,000 for CFJ. Hatch is wisely distancing himself from the ad.

The Utah Republican called a spot run by the group Committee for Justice "pretty harsh" and "not the type of ad I would run," in a statement provided by his spokesperson to the Huffington Post.

I could ask if Chris LaCivita has any shame but it would be a rhetorical question.

Worst Argument Against Health Care Reform Ever.

Megan McArdle rants on BloggingHeads Tv that health care reform will kill people. McArdle gives the libertarian argument that health care reform will kill the competion for innovative new drugs. Mark Schmitt literally laughs at her argument.

Obama's health care plan does not kill private pharmacuitical companies. McArdle fails to understand market is created by demand. There will always be sick and terminally ill patients. The demand for current and new drugs is there during economic prosperous and weak times. The pharmacuitical industry couldn't have a better market. Medicine is not a luxury item. People need it to live.

The Bush administration hindered choice and competition. President Bush refused to allow cheaper drugs to come from Canada. Senator Orrin Hatch explain if we import drugs the terrorist wins.

Senator Orrin G. Hatch, Republican of Utah, said, ''If this proposal becomes law, we are just placing our country in the hands of foreign terrorists who could easily get hold of various prescription drug products and spread desolation and disease.''

That is a silly argument. The FDA can screen the drugs. No one is arguing to have unsafe drugs enter the country. It is amazing Republicans are arguing against free trade and competition. Not so amazing considering what pharmacuitical companies spent contributing to the Republican Party during the 2004 and 2006 campaign cycles. Conservative ideology for free markets takes a backseat to lobbyists.

I'm not suprised McArdle would argue against health care reform. She defended accused murderer Scott Roeder and professed her crush on Bobby Jindal. There is no reason to expect McArdle to make a rationale argument. What I don't understand is why anyone would pay her to blog?